Collaboration among researchers, policymakers, and civil society is needed to reverse biodiversity loss in Europe and create a nature-positive future for the continent. The European Union-funded project BIOTraCes employs an innovative approach to the problem, focussing on tackling the root causes of biodiversity loss, emphasizing equity and justice for both people and the planet.

Biodiversity in Europe is facing a significant and ongoing decline. Data from the European Environment Agency indicates that nearly 40% of the 463 bird species in the European Union (EU) are classified as having poor or bad conservation status. Approximately 5% of habitats require improvement, and 50% of dunes, bogs, mires, and fens are in a state of poor conservation.

The main pressure on biodiversity in our continent comes from the agriculture sector, which accounts for 21% of the impact on habitats and species, followed by urbanization at 13% and forestry at 11%.

“Growing economies coincide with increased exploitation and extraction of resources, which leads to climate change, land use, and alteration,” said Esther Turnhout, a partner in the EU-funded project Biodiversity and Transformative Change for plural and nature positive societies (BIOTraCes) at the University of Twente in the Netherlands. “This, in turn, results in biodiversity loss.”